NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Brandon Teena

Brandon Teena^[1] (December 12, 1972 - December 31, 1993), born Teena Renae Brandon in Lincoln, Nebraska, and known simply as Brandon, was a biological female living as a transgender man^[2] who was raped and eventually murdered^[3] in one of the most infamous American hate crimes of the 1990s.^[4] Brandon is the subject of the Academy Award-winning 1999 film Boys Don't Cry, which was based on the documentary film The Brandon Teena Story.^[5] is the 346th day of the year (347th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nickname: Location in Nebraska Coordinates: , Country State County United States Nebraska Lancaster Founded[1] Renamed Incorporated 1856 July 29, 1867 April 1, 1869 Government - Mayor Chris Beutler Area - City 195. ... For other uses, see Nebraska (disambiguation). ... is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... Humboldt is a city located in Richardson County, Nebraska. ... For other uses, see Nebraska (disambiguation). ... is the 346th day of the year (347th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... Nickname: Location in Nebraska Coordinates: , Country State County United States Nebraska Lancaster Founded[1] Renamed Incorporated 1856 July 29, 1867 April 1, 1869 Government - Mayor Chris Beutler Area - City 195. ... For other uses, see Nebraska (disambiguation). ... For the electronic music EP by Mr. ... A Jewish cemetery in France after being defaced by Neo-Nazis. ... Although he never won an Oscar for any of his movie performances, the comedian Bob Hope received two honorary Oscars for his contributions to cinema. ... Boys Dont Cry is a 1999 independent drama film based on the real-life story of Brandon Teena, a young transman who was raped and murdered by his male friends after they found out he had female genitalia on December 30, 1993. ... Documentary film is a broad category of visual expression that is based on the attempt, in one fashion or another, to document reality. ...

Biography

Childhood

Brandon Teena was born a female in Lincoln, Nebraska. Brandon's family described Brandon as a "tomboy". While Brandon was still living as a girl, Brandon was sexually assaulted by a male relative. According to Brandon's mother, JoAnn Brandon, she and Brandon sought counseling in 1991. Nickname: Location in Nebraska Coordinates: , Country State County United States Nebraska Lancaster Founded[1] Renamed Incorporated 1856 July 29, 1867 April 1, 1869 Government - Mayor Chris Beutler Area - City 195. ... For other uses, see Tomboy (disambiguation). ... This page deals with sexual assault as a medical emergency and gives information on how victims, first-aiders and medical personnel can respond. ...

Brandon began identifying as male in high school and dated several girls. Brandon's mother rejected Brandon's male identity and continued calling Brandon her daughter. Brandon claimed to be intersex several times, but this was later proven to be false.^[6]^[2] Intersexuality is the state of a person whose sex chromosomes, genitalia and/or secondary sex characteristics are determined to be neither exclusively male nor female. ...

Falls City, Nebraska

In 1993, after some legal trouble, Brandon moved to Falls City region of Richardson County, Nebraska where he identified solely as a male. Falls City is a city in Richardson County, Nebraska, United States. ... Richardson County is a county located in the state of Nebraska. ...

Brandon became friends with several local residents. After moving in to the home of girlfriend Lisa Lambert^[7], Brandon began dating one of Lambert's friends, Lana Tisdel, and associating with ex-convicts John Lotter and Marvin "Tom" Nissen. Nissen was married and had two children. Tisdel and Lotter had been friends since childhood and had dated several years before. Another man, Phillip DeVine, began to date Tisdel’s younger sister, and he also became friends with Brandon.

On December 15, Brandon was jailed for forging checks. Tisdel paid his bail. Because Brandon was in the female section of the jail, Tisdel learned that he was biologically female. Forgery is the process of making or adapting objects or documents (see false document), with the intention to deceive. ... This article is about the legal term. ...

When Tisdel questioned Brandon about his anatomical gender, he told her he was pursuing a sex change operation, and they continued dating.^[8], ^[9] However in a law suit regarding the film adaptation Boys Don't Cry, this was disputed by Tisdel.^{[citation needed]} Gender symbols: female (left), male (right). ... Sex reassignment surgery (SRS) includes the surgical procedures by which a persons physical appearance and function of their existing sexual characteristics are changed to that of the other sex. ... Boys Dont Cry is the title of: a 1999 movie starring Hilary Swank: see Boys Dont Cry (movie) the US name of the 1979 The Cure album Three Imaginary Boys: see Boys Dont Cry (album) a band of session musicians who had a one-hit wonder in...

Brandon's arrest was posted in the local paper under his birthname, Teena Brandon. His acquaintances subsequently learned that he was anatomically female.

The rape

During a Christmas Eve party, Nissen and Lotter grabbed Brandon and forced him to remove him pants, to prove to Tisdel that Brandon was female. Tisdel looked only when they forced her to, and she said nothing. Nativity of the Lord redirects here. ...

Lotter and Nissen then attacked Brandon, and forced him into a car. They drove to an area by a meat packing plant and beat and raped him. They then returned to Nissen's home.

Brandon escaped from Nissen's bathroom by climbing out the window and went to Tisdel's house. He was convinced to file a police report, though Nissen and Lotter had warned Brandon to remain silent. The police report was thrown out due to lack of evidence. This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Brandon went to the emergency room where a standard rape kit was assembled, but later lost. The sheriff at the time, Charles B. Laux, asked Brandon questions about the rape. Reportedly, he seemed especially interested in Brandon’s transsexuality, to the point that Brandon found his questions rude and unnecessary, and refused to answer. To collect medical evidence for the police following a sexual assualt, medical personnel use a Sexual Assault Kit (often referred to as a rape kit). A Sexual Assualt Kit contains commonly available medical examination items such as cotton swabs, urine collection containers, a speculum, sterile sample containers and sealable envelopes...

Nissen and Lotter learned of the report, and they began to search for Brandon. However, they failed to find him, and three days later, the police went to question them. However, Laux declined to have them arrested, even though both men had criminal records.

The murder

During questioning, Lotter denied ever touching Brandon, while Nissen accused Lotter of raping Brandon, but said that he had simply watched. The two continued to search for Brandon, so Brandon went to live at Lisa Lambert’s house. After Lotter stole a gun from his neighbor, the two men went to Tisdel’s house. Tisdel told them that Brandon wasn’t at her house, but her mother revealed that Brandon was at Lambert’s home.

The two men left for Lambert’s house and broke in. They found Lambert in bed and demanded to know where Brandon was. Lambert refused to tell them. Nissen searched and found Brandon under the bed. The men asked Lambert if there was anyone else in the house, and she replied that Phillip DeVine was staying with her. They shot and killed DeVine along with Lambert and Brandon, in front of Lambert's young child.

The two men then left, but were quickly arrested and charged with murder.^{[citation needed]}

Trial and sentencing

Nissen blamed the crime on Lotter. Later, in exchange for a reduced sentence, Nissen admitted to being an accessory to the rape and murder. Nissen testified against Lotter and was sentenced to life in prison. Lotter proceeded to deny the veracity of Nissen’s testimony, but his testimony was discredited. The jury found Lotter guilty of murder and sentenced him to death. Lotter and Nissen both appealed their convictions, and their cases are currently under review. Life imprisonment is a term used for a particular kind of sentence of imprisonment. ... Capital punishment, or the death penalty, is the execution of a convicted criminal by the state as punishment for crimes known as capital crimes or capital offences. ... In law, an appeal is a process for making a formal challenge to an official decision. ...

On September 20, 2007, Nissen recanted his testimony against Lotter. He claims that he was the only one to shoot Brandon and that Lotter was not involved. Lotter is currently appealing and is using Nissen's new testimony to assert his claims of innocence.^[10] is the 263rd day of the year (264th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ...

Aftermath

Because Brandon had neither commenced hormone replacement therapy nor had sex reassignment surgery, he has sometimes been identified as a lesbian woman by media reporters.^[11] However, some reported that Brandon had stated that he planned to have sex reassignment surgery.^[12] Sexual reassignment surgery from female to male includes surgical procedures which will reshape a female body into a body with a male appearance. ... This article is about same-sex desire and sexuality among women. ...

JoAnn Brandon sued Richardson County Nebraska and Charles Laux for failing to prevent Brandon's death, as well as being an indirect cause of it. She won the case, and was awarded $80,000. District court judge Orville Coady reduced the amount by 85 percent based on the responsibility of Nissen and Lotter, and by one percent for Brandon's alleged contributory negligence. This led to a remaining judgment of responsibility against Richardson County and Laux of $17,360.97.^[13] In 2001, the Nebraska Supreme Court reversed the reductions of the earlier award, thus reinstating the full $80,000 award for "mental suffering", plus $6223.20 for funeral costs. On October 11, 2001, the same judge added an additional $12,000 award. ^[14] The plaintiff was awarded an additional $5000 for wrongful death, and $7,000 for the intentional infliction of emotional distress.^[15] Negligence is a legal concept usually used to achieve compensation for injuries (not accidents). ... is the 284th day of the year (285th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... Wrongful death is a claim in tort against a person who can be held liable for a death. ...

Laux was also criticized after the murder for his attitude toward Brandon — at one point Laux referred to Brandon as "it."^[16]

In 1999, Brandon became the subject of a biopic entitled Boys Don't Cry, starring Hilary Swank as Brandon in an Academy Award-winning performance, and Chloe Sevigny as his girlfriend Lana Tisdel, in an Academy Award-nominated performance. The real Lana Tisdel sued the producers of the film for unauthorized use of her name and likeness before the film's release. She claimed that the film depicted her as "lazy, white trash and a skanky snake". Tisdel also claimed that the film falsely portrayed that she continued the relationship with Teena after she discovered Teena was anatomically female. She eventually settled her lawsuit against the movie's distributor for an undisclosed sum. A biographical film or biopic is a film about a particular person or group of people, based on events that actually happened. ... Boys Dont Cry is a 1999 independent drama film based on the real-life story of Brandon Teena, a young transman who was raped and murdered by his male friends after they found out he had female genitalia on December 30, 1993. ... Hilary Ann Swank (born July 30, 1974) is a two-time Academy Award-winning American actress. ... Although he never won an Oscar for any of his movie performances, the comedian Bob Hope received two honorary Oscars for his contributions to cinema. ... Chlo Sevigny (born November 18, 1974) is an American actress and model. ... For other uses, see White trash (disambiguation). ... A settlement is a contract that is one possible result when parties sue (or contemplate so doing) each other in civil courts, usually seeking money as reparations for the alleged wrongdoing of the defendants. ...

Brandon’s headstone is inscribed with the name "Teena R. Brandon" and the epitaph "daughter, sister, & friend".^[17]

Cultural references

In 2006, the British duo Pet Shop Boys released a song called "Girls Don't Cry" (a bonus track on UK issue of I'm with Stupid) about Brandon Teena. Pet Shop Boys are an English dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant who provides main vocals, keyboards and occasionally guitar, and Chris Lowe on keyboards and occasionally on vocals. ... Im with Stupid is a song by British synthpop band Pet Shop Boys and is featured on their 2006 album, Fundamental. ...

See also

Image File history File links Portal. ... Homosexuality and transgender are two separate concepts. ... Transgender is a very complex topic, where consensual and precise definitions have not yet been reached. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Gay bashing. ... Manifestations Slavery Â· Racial profiling Â· Lynching Hate speech Â· Hate crime Â· Hate groups Genocide Â· Holocaust Â· Pogrom Ethnocide Â· Ethnic cleansing Â· Race war Religious persecution Â· Gay bashing Pedophobia Â· Ephebiphobia Movements Discriminatory Aryanism Â· Neo-Nazism Â· Supremacism Kahanism Anti-discriminatory Abolitionism Â· Civil rights LGBT rights Womens/Universal suffrage Â· Feminism Mens/Fathers rights Â· Masculinism Children... Gwen Araujo, who lived as female Gwen Amber Rose Araujo (February 24, 1985 â€“ October 4, 2002, nÃ©e Edward Araujo, Jr. ...

References

^ Note: - as Brandon Teena was never his legal name, it is uncertain the extent to which this name was used prior to his death. It is the name most commonly used by the press and other media. Other names may include his legal name, as well as "Billy Brenson" and "Tena Ray"
^ ^a ^b Matzner, Andrew. Teena, Brandon (1972-1993). GLBTQ Encyclopedia. Accessed 14 March 2007.
^ U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals JoAnn Brandon v Charles B. Laux. FindLaw. Retrieved on 2006-12-07.
^ Howey, Noelle (2000-03-22). Boys Do Cry. Mother Jones. Retrieved on 2006-12-07.
^ The Brandon Teena Story. IMDB. Retrieved on 2006-12-07.
^ Ramsland, Katherine. Notorious Murders - Not Guilty? Teena Brandon Accessed 14 March 2007.
^ Teena or Brandon? - crimelibrary.com
^ Teena Brandon, a young transsexual who is murdered in a hate-crime on truTV.com
^ Teena Brandon, a young transsexual who is murdered in a hate-crime on truTV.com
^ Jenkins, Nate. "Inmate Recants Teena Brandon Story", Associated Press, 2007-09-20. Retrieved on 2007-09-20.
^ Brandon Teena Gets Dunne Wrong. Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (24). Retrieved on 2006-12-07. “A New Yorker writer does not understand Brandon Teena's transgender identity, and describes him as a "predatory" butch lesbian, referring to him as "her" for most of the piece.”
^ Griffy, Anna M. (4). The Brandon Teena Story: Chapter 2: Brandon. The Brandon Teena Story 2. ustice Junction. Retrieved on 2006-12-07. “Teena made her decision for good: she was going to live as a man and began to tell people she was having a sex change operation.”
^ [1] Summary of case by JoAnn Brandon's attorney with Nebraska case # references. Retrieved on 2007-12-06.
^ The victims of prejudice, BBC News, 26 December, 2003
^ [2] Summary of case by JoAnn Brandon's attorney with Nebraska case # references. Retrieved on 2007-12-06.
^ Gabriel, Davina Anne (15). Activists Protest Violence As Lotter Trial Begins. Retrieved on 2006-12-07. “Laux has also been quoted as saying "you can call it 'it' as far as I'm concerned" when describing Teena.”
^ "Teena R. "Brandon Teena" Brandon", Find A Grave, August 28, 2000. Retrieved on 2007-05-14.

The Brandon Teena Archive, Judith Halberstam
Nebraska Inmate Details: John Lotter. Nebraska Department of Correction Services. Retrieved on 2007-06-01.
Nebraska Inmate Details: Thomas Nissen. Nebraska Department of Correction Services. Retrieved on 2007-06-01.

id="External_links"> FindLaw. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 341st day of the year (342nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... is the 81st day of the year (82nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 341st day of the year (342nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the in-memory database management system, see In-memory database. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 341st day of the year (342nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Associated Press, or AP, is an American news agency, the worlds largest such organization. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 263rd day of the year (264th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 263rd day of the year (264th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is dedicated to promoting and ensuring fair, accurate and inclusive representation of people and events in the media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 341st day of the year (342nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 341st day of the year (342nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 341st day of the year (342nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 240th day of the year (241st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 134th day of the year (135th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Judith Halberstam is Professor of English and Director of The Center for Feminist Research at University of Southern California. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 152nd day of the year (153rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 152nd day of the year (153rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

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